BubbleStream

VL Jennings

The Alien Mind

Synopsis

In The Alien Mind, Young Rivinaig shares her adventures and trials that began on that fateful day when a group of aliens called the Aruk abducted her and several other children. Another group of aliens called the Aunantet rescue the children and raise them as their own. Their new families teach them how to harness the full capacities of their brains, enabling them to defy the laws of physics and develop special mental abilities.
The past returns to haunt them as the Aruk plot revenge and make a bid to regain their control; the fate of the entire galaxy depends on whether the children can maintain their freedom.
A 4-8 grade novel, written to be enjoyed by all age groups!

Author Biography

When V.L. Jennings isn't traveling to other worlds through her imagination, she calls Dillon, South Carolina her home. Virginia is the author of two speculative fiction books; "Visionary From The Stars" and "The Alien Mind," both published by PDMI Publishing, LLC in the fall season of 2014. She has also illustrated a children's book for PDMI, titled "Wiggle Worm's Shape Adventures," written by Karen and Kathy Sills.
She enjoys watching Doctor Who or Star Trek with her family over dinner, and also watching the latest sci-fi and action movies with her husband. On the weekends, you may even find Virginia and her family at the local comic book store, hunting down more comics to add to their collections.
Virginia loves to connect with new people, as well as hashing out story concepts and other creative ideas on her blog, at www.virginialorijennings.com.

Author Insight

Dealing With Bullies

One of the main themes that runs throughout the whole book is how to deal with bullying. Rivi must learn to stand up to her the alien Aruk that have been chasing and torturing her and her friends across the galaxy. Sometimes the best way to learn something is to help someone else overcome a similar problem in a different situation
In this scene Rivi has just registered for her first day of school since coming back to Earth to live among humans. She finds this boy, who she later nicknames Dan, being picked on and pushed around by some of the school's bullies. She helps Daniel out by standing up to the bullies.
Through her friendship with Dan she teaches him how to stand up for himself without violence and subsequently learns the confidence and strength she needs to face the Aruk when they capture her again!

Book Excerpt

The Alien Mind

Suddenly, four figures at the far end of the hall caught her attention. As she approached, she realized that the four figures were three boys bullying the fourth one.

"I thought we told you to stay off of our street 'Danny Boy?'" the oldest bully jeered as he pushed the fourth boy.

"My... My house is at th…the end of the street next to yours... It's the fastest way to school," the boy answered struggling to keep a hold on the stack of books and papers he was carrying.

"So what?” the bigger boy commanded, shrugging.

"You need to teach him, Bill!" one of the other two bullies suggested.

"You know... I think I will," the taller “Bill” character said, sneering meanly at the fourth boy and proceeded by knocking the stack of books out of the boy's hands and onto the floor.

Bill then pushed the boy. Rivi felt like her insides had turned red hot. She fought to maintain her cool composure as memories of abuse from the hands of the Aruk tried to flood her mind. As the fourth boy's head made contact with the wall behind him, Rivi manipulated the concrete atoms to soften the impact.

"Hey!" Rivi called as she approached, stepping over a few of the books on the floor. "Is there a reason why you are bothering this boy?"

"Yeah-we feel like it," Bill challenged. "You think you can do somethin' about it?"

"It is 'something,' and I can do quite a bit, so I wouldn't bother irritating me," Rivi answered with a sly smile.

"Ya' hear that, boys? This little girl doesn't want to be 'irritated'” Bill jeered mockingly, using his hands to embellish 'irritated' with air-quotes, “I bet she's new and scared!"

Rivi narrowed her eyes, smiled, and nodded.

"Yes, I am new," she answered which seemed to make the bullies smirk, "But no, I'm not scared at all," Rivi continued, as her smile melted into a scowl.

The bully shrugged, then signaled to his two friends, and they all sauntered off.

Rivi bent down to help the fourth boy pick up his books. She then handed him the stack she had collected and asked politely if he was all right.

"I'll be fine... but you shouldn't have helped. Now they'll only make it worse on me for being defended by a girl," the boy answered with remorse.

Rivi raised her eyebrows and took one of his schoolbooks off the top of the stack in his arms. She opened the front cover and found a name written, assigning the book to that person.

"Your name is Daniel Peterson?" Rivi asked, giving the book back as Daniel answered with a nod. "Well Daniel, at what point in time in the history of the United States of America did its citizens go back to being ruled and pushed around by bullies?" she asked, looking at him meaningfully before she walked off toward her class.

Rivi shook her head, she couldn't help wishing she was back in the well-ordered society on Aun.